The word "runaway" echoed in Hiccup’s mind, a frantic drumbeat against the rising panic. Chosen by Gothi to kill the Monstrous Nightmare, he knew he had no choice but to flee. The cheers of the Hooligans, demanding a dragon’s death, had spurred him into action. He’d hurried home, stuffing clothes and dried fish for himself and Toothless into a pack. He left the flight gear at the cove, knowing it would be safer there.
Reaching the cove, he scanned the familiar landscape, searching for his Night Fury. “Where is he?” he muttered, anxiety tightening his chest. The cove felt empty without Toothless’s shadow. Then he saw her – Astrid, her blonde braid whipping in the wind.
“Astrid?!” he called, his voice laced with frustration. She didn’t respond, simply walked toward him, her expression unreadable. This was the worst possible time. He needed to disappear, and she was blocking his path. He’d secretly honed his swordsmanship with Toothless, training for a future he hadn’t anticipated. He never imagined he’d need to wield a blade, yet here he was.
“What are you doing here, Fishbone?” Astrid finally asked, her voice cold. She raised her axe, ready to strike. “Why do you care?”
“No one could reach that level of skill in training, not even you,” she said, slashing at his shirt with the axe’s edge. Fabric tore, and a cold fury ignited within him. Enough was enough. He slammed his hand against her axehead, knocking it away, and drew his own sword. “Now is not the time, Astrid,” he snarled, swinging the blade in a wide arc. He was beyond reason, fueled by desperation.
Astrid hadn’t seen this side of him before. The controlled rage, the skill with a sword…it was terrifying. She’d underestimated him. “You’ve been hiding this,” she thought, a chilling realization creeping into her mind.
She lunged, swinging her axe, but Hiccup sidestepped, tripping her with his foot. She crashed to the ground, a sword pressed against her throat. *I won’t let him overpower me,* she thought, adrenaline surging. She rolled over, rising into a fighting stance honed by years of Hofferson training.
“You’re good, but not good enough,” Hiccup said, grabbing her axe. He sheathed his sword and examined the weapon, turning it over in his hands. “What are you going to do, kill me?”
Then, he did the unthinkable. He snapped the axehead in two, tossing the pieces at her feet. The axe he’d crafted for *her*. She hadn’t known he could fight, let alone break her axe. She’d underestimated him completely.
“Why are you here?!” he demanded, his voice raw with fury.
At this point, Astrid was genuinely afraid. “I came to…congratulate you,” she lied, her voice trembling.
Hiccup scoffed. “You’re a terrible liar. I’ll ask you again. Why are you here?”
Before she could answer, a shadow fell over them. A dragon was hurtling toward them. “Look out!” she shouted, reaching for her broken axehead, but it was too late. Toothless unleashed a blast of plasma, knocking Astrid unconscious.
“Toothless, no!” Hiccup yelled, his voice laced with anguish. The Night Fury stopped, his gaze fixed on his rider. Hiccup knelt beside Astrid, checking her pulse. “She’s knocked out, but she’ll wake up soon, bud. We have to go now.”
He loaded the pack onto Toothless’s back and climbed aboard. With a powerful thrust of his wings, the Night Fury soared into the sky, leaving Berk and everything he knew behind. They were running away, together.